Government Technology has published its list of "Doers, Dreamers and Drivers," people who are "pushing the boundaries of government-as-usual."

Among the listed individuals are Chris Cummiskey, Chief Information Officer, Government Information
Technology Agency, State of Arizona; Bill Ezell, Chief Information Officer, State of Tennessee; Doug Robinson, NASCIO's Executive Director; Mary Carroll, former Chief Information Officer, State of Ohio; and Doug Elkins, former Executive Chief Information Officer for the State
of Arkansas.

CIO Magazine has published a brief article on ways to address the talent gap, "Seven Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Top IT Talent." In addition to pointing out the fact that Boomer retirees will out pace new hirings by a two to one margin over the next decade, the article also suggests up front that the coming decade will see the most intense war for talent in American business history.

Ben Worthen at CIO.com has published more on the consumer-led IT phenomenon, suggesting that anywhere, anytime computing has created a shadow IT department:

The emergence of this second IT department—call it 'the shadow IT
department'—is a natural product of the disconnect that has always
existed between those who provide IT and those who use it.

And that disconnect is fundamental. Users want IT to be responsive
to their individual needs and to make them more productive. CIOs want
IT to be reliable, secure, scalable and compliant with an ever
increasing number of government regulations. Consequently, when
corporate IT designs and provides an IT system, manageability usually
comes first, the user’s experience second. But the shadow IT department
doesn’t give a hoot about manageability and provides its users with ways to end-run corporate IT when the interests of the two groups do not coincide.

Linked courtesy of NASCIO's architecture news briefs, this govexec.com article says the just released White House budget included estimates of the savings achieved by data consolidation across the federal government.

According to this story at FCW.com, market research firm Input says that the state and local outsourcing market will grow, climbing to about $20 billion in 2011 from about $12 billion in 2006. Programs like Medicaid will squeeze state budgets, prompting the initiatives.

Speaking at the just-concluded NASTD southern region winter meeting, the Louisiana CIO said a couple of things of interest. Rizwan Ahmed noted that 70 percent of the knowledge workers in his state would be eligible to retire in only five years. It fits a pattern Government Technology has identified. Secondly, pay scale and promotions are linked directly. Some people, while skilled, are not interested in management responsibility, which creates a problem for Louisiana. Ahmed wants to address that issue with new program to identify leaders in civil service.